Garment hanger



Oct. 2, 1962 w. L. SNYDER 3,056,533

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aired States 3,056,533 Patented Oct. 2, 1962 hcc 3,056,533 GARMENT HANGER William L. Snyder, 2613 N.E. 24th St., Pompano Beach, Fla. Filed Oct. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 847,278 7 Claims. (Cl. 223-96) The present invention relates to a garment hanger such as, for example, is used for hanging up a pair of pants by the cuffs thereof.

It is well known in the art to hang pants by the cuffs and to hang other garments by means of ya hanger having a pair of clamping jaws. These conventional devices are quite difficult to handle. In fact, it might be said that three hands are needed to use them satisfactorily. In hanging a pair of pants by the cuffs, it is necessary to grasp the cuffs at opposite sides thereof which requires two hands and then the clamping jaws must be closed upon the cuffs.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved garment hanger which is more easily and quickly operated than conventional garment hangers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a garment hanger which will hang in an open position when not in use for hanging up a garment and which, by simply lifting or tilting slightly one of the clamping jaws of the hanger, will move to closed position wherein the weight of the garment causes the jaws to securely hold the garment.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a garment hanger which is inexpensive and durable.

Still further objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In -accordance with the present invention, there is provided a garment hanger which includes a pair of pivotally connected clamping jaws, respective ones of the jaws having fixed with relation thereto, a pair of members ywhich are located between the pivotal connection of the jaws and the jaws themselves. A wire or rod is pivotally connected by one end to one of the members and extends below the other of the members. There. 1s provided means connected to the other end of the wire or rod for hanging the rod upon a support. The rod has a pair of bends therein which are proportioned and arranged for holding the jaws closed and for holding the jaws open, respectively.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description yand claims:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a garment hanger constructed according to the present invention showing the hanger in open-jaw position whereby a garment may be received between the jaws.

FIG. 2 is 'a front elevation of the device illustrated in FIG. l, the view being taken looking from the lower left of FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the structure illustrated in FIG. v2.

Referring now to the drawings, this invention comprises la garment hanger, indicated generally by the numeral 10. In FIG. 1, three additional such garment hangers are fragmentarily illustrated as hanging upon the horizontal portion 11 of a hook device 12 which has its hook portions l13 received upon the hanger bar 15 found in most conventional closets. This arrangement of four garment hangers upon ia single hook device is used to provide stability, however, it should be understood that the garment hanger 1t) will operate as well when used with a hook having only a single `garment hanger thereon.

The garment hanger 11i comprises a pair of clamping jaws 1'6 and 17, the mutually facing clamping surfaces and 21 having fixed thereto foam rubber pads 23-23.

In order to prevent a garment from dropping out of the clamping jaws, the foam rubber pads 23 act to frictionally engage the cuffs of a pair of pants or :any garment to provide a secure clamping action. The particular clamping device 10 is primarily `designed for hanging a pair of pants, therefore, the foam rubber pads 23 are discontinuous at their centers to provide for the seams of the pants.

The jaws 16 and 17 are pivotally connected together by means of wires or rods 25 and 26, each of which is fixed to a respective one of the clamping jaws and has its opposite ends received within `and extending through the respective clamping jaw. Each of the rods 25 and 26 has a horizontal portion 27 tand 28 which is located between the pivotal connection of the rods at 30 and 31 and the clamping jaws themselves. Thus, when the jaws move together or apart, the horizontal portions 27 and 28 also move together or apart but a somewhat lesser distance.

Pivotally connected by one end to the horizontal portion 2S is a wire or rod 32, which has its other end 33 formed in the shape of an eye which is received upon the link 34. When the garment hanger is hanging in the open position of FIG. l, the end 33 of the rod `32 is held upwardly causing the horizontal portion 27 to be received within a bend 35 in the rod 32. The portion 36 of the rod 32 curves upwardly a sufficient amount so as to prevent the jaws from closing and to retain the horizontal portion 27 within the bend 35.

Assuming now that it is desired to hang a pair of pants upon the hanger, the pants are grasped at the creases in the cuffs and yare lifted between the jaws. The clamping jaw 17 is touched or raised slightly causing the horizontal portion 27 to glide over the raised portion 36 of the rod 32 and into a bend 37 in the rod. The portion 38 of the rod 32 is arranged at such an `angle as a result of the bend 37 that, when a pair of pants is received between the clamping jaws tending to draw the jaws downwardly and the end 33 of the rod 32 is raised by the opposite fore of reaction, the portion 38 of the rod 32 bears against the horizontal portion 27 forcing the clamping jaws together so as to securely grip the cuffs of the pants. In order to remove the pants from the hanger, it is only necessary to lift and separate the jaws 16 and 17.

It should be noted that the clamping jaw 17 is somewhat longer than the clamping jaw 16 so that, when the jaws are in closed position, the ends of the jaw 17 extend a substantial distance beyond the ends of the jaw 16 as illustrated in FIG. 2. The purpose of this structure is to allow the clamping jaw 16 to drop inside of the thumbs of a person holding a pair of pants against the jaw 17. Thus, in hanging up a pair of pants with the present device, it is only necessary to grasp the pants near the creases and, while holding the pants against the jaw 17, to slightly lift or tilt the jaw 17 The handle 40 which is fiexd to the clamping jaw 16 is provided as an aid in opening the jaws.

From the above description, it will be obvious that the present invention provides a novel and improved garment hanger which is very easy to use and does not require three hands to operate. It will also be obvious from the above description that the present invention provides a garment hanger kwhich will maintain an open position when not in use whereby a garment may be more easily hung upon the device. Furthermore, it can be seen that the present invention provides a garment hanger which is inexpensive and durable.

While the invention has been illustrated 4and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

l. A garment hanger comprising a pair of clamping jaws having f oam rubber on the mutually facing clamping surfaces thereof, a wire lixed to one of said jaws, a second wire iixed to the other of said jaws, said wires being pivotally connected to one another at points above and spaced from said clamping jaws, said wires each having horizontal portions between the jaws and the pivot-al connection of said wires, a third wire pivotally mounted at one end upon one of said horizontal portions and adapted at the other end for connection to a support, said third wire having two bends therein, one of said bends proportioned and arranged for holding said jaws open and the other of said bends proportioned and arranged for holding said jaws closed.

2. A garment hanger comprising a pair of pivotally connected clamping jaws, a pair of members ixed with relation to respective ones of said jaws and located between the pivotal connection of said jaws and the jaws themselves, a wire pivotally connected at one end to one of said members and extending below the other of said members, means connected to the other end of said wire for hanging said wire upon a support, said wire having a pair of bends therein proportioned and arranged for holding said jaws closed and for holding said jaws open, respectively.

3. A garment hanger comprising a pair of pivotally connected clamping jaws having foam rubber on the mutually facing clamping surfaces thereof, a pair of members fixed with relation to respective ones of said jaws and located between the pivotal connection of said jaws and the jaws themselves, a rod pivotally connected by one end to one of said members, means connected to the other end of said rod for hanging said rod upon a support, said rod having a pair of generally downwardly projecting bends, a iirst of said bends located a suicient distance away from the pivotal connection of said rod that, when the other of said members is received in said first bend, said clamping jaws are spaced apart for reception of a garment, a second of said bends located sufficiently close to the pivotal connection of said rod that, when a garment is hanging from said jaws and said means is hanging from a support, said clamping jaws are yforced together by the action of said rod against the other of said members, the other end of said third wire being so located that, when said jaws are so spaced apart, a vertical line through said other end is outboard of a vertical line through said pivotal connection and a vertical line through the one of said pair of clamping jaws associated with said one of said members.

4. The device of claim 3 in which the portion of said wire between said bends is suiiiciently smooth that said garment hanger may be moved from open jaw position to closed jaw position by a slight upward movement of the jaw xed with relation to said one member.

5. A garment hanger comprising a pair of pivotally connected clamping jaws, a pair of members fixed with relation to respective ones of said jaws and located between the pivotal connection of said jaws and the jaws themselves, a wire pivotally connected at one end to one of said members and extending below the other of said members, means connected to the other end of said wire for hanging said wire upon a support, said wire having a pair of bends therein proportioned and arran-ged for holding said jaws closed and for holding said jaws open, respectively, each of said jaws having a generally elongated shape, the respective jaw'whiclr is fixed with relation to said one member having ends which extend a substantial distance beyond the ends of the other jaw when said jaws are closed, the other end of sai-d wire being so located that, when said jaws are so held open, la vertical line through said other end is outboard of a vertical line through said pivotal connection and a vertical line through the one of said clamping jaws associated with said one member.

6i. A `garment hanger comprising a pair of pivotally connected clamping jaws, a pair of members iixed with relation to respective ones of said jaws and located between the pivotal connection of said jaws and the jaws themselves, a wire pivotally connected at one end to one of said members and extending below the other of said members, means connected to the other end of said wire for hanging said wire upon a support, said wire having a bend therein located and arranged to receive the other of said members, said bend being located a suiiicient distance away from the pivotal connection of said wire that, when the other of said members is received in said bend, said clamping jaws are spaced apart for reception of a garment.

7. A garment hanger comprising a pair of pivotally connected clamping jaws, 4a pair of members fixed with relation to respective ones of said jaws and located between the pivotal connection of said jaws and the jaws themselves, a wire pivotally connected at one end to one of said members and extending below the other of said members, means connected to the other end of said wire for hanging said wire upon a support, said wire having a bend therein located and arranged to receive the other of said members, said bend being located a suiiicient distance away from the pivotal connection of said wire that, when the other of said members is received in said bend, said clamping jaws are spaced apart for reception of a garment, said wire having between said bend and the pivotal connection of said wire, a portion which curves suiiiciently upwardly, when said wire is hanging on a support, to retain said other member in said bend, said portion being suffciently straight to allow said jaws to move together when the jaw fixed with relation to said one member is manipulated, the other end of said wire being so located that, when the other of said members is received in said bend and said clamping jaws are spaced apart, a vertical line through said other end is outboard of -a vertical line through said pivotal connection and a vertical line through the one of said pair of clamping jaws associated with said one of said members.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,608,325 Crockett Aug. 26, 1952 2,835,423 Horne May 20, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 328,919 Germany Nov. 6, 192() 

